Egypt coach Hassan Shehata faces selection dilemma due to the availability of many stars as the Pharaohs face Zambia in their Group C opener of the World Cup qualifiers final phase. The highly-respected tactician has a fully-fit squad to choose from for Sunday's anticipated clash at Cairo Stadium. "All the players are ready to take part in the game," Shehata, who led Egypt to back-to-back Nations Cup titles in 2006 and 2008, said. "I will have a problem in selecting the starting line-up, but it is a good problem." The likes of Ahli's evergreen midfielder Mohamed Barakat and star playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika could find themselves sitting on the bench. Wigan Athletic's Mido and Ittihad Jeddah's on-loan frontman Emad Meteb could also be among the substitutes as Shehata is expected to rely on Amr Zaki as a lone striker. Borussia Dortmund's Mohamed Zidan is likely to act as a deep-lying striker to support the combative Zaki, who will be looking to find the net after a barren run with Wigan. Shehata could assign the playmaker responsibilities to skipper Ahmed Hassan, with Hosni Abd-Rabou partnering Mohamed Shawky in the heart of midfield. Reports suggested Shehata would favor a 4-4-2 formation instead of his preferred 3-5-2. However, it seems highly unlikely that the 59-year-old boss will switch the traditional 3-5-2 formation he has deployed in all Egypt's vital games since taking over in 2004.
- Egypt and Zambia met 21 times - Egypt won 11 matches - Zambia won six matches - They drew four times Winning Start The six-time African champions seek to claim all three points at Zambia's expense to get off to a winning start and occupy the group's summit. Group C Competitors Algeria played out a dull goalless draw with Rwanda on Saturday to give Egypt the chance to move top. "Beginnings are always difficult," Shehata told the Egyptian FA official website. "Our match against Zambia will largely determine how we will fare in the qualifiers. "A win will give us a boost in morale before we take on other opponents." Zambia were the only side to deny Egypt a win in the 2008 Nations Cup when they held them to a 1-1 draw. Although Egypt hold the record for most Nations Cup triumphs with six titles under their belt, they took part in the World Cup just twice. Their last participation was in the 1990 tournament in Italy where they failed to get beyond the first round.
